Ryan Smith, 13, sits in a pen Saturday before showing his pig during the Randall County Junior Livestock Show at the West Texas A&M Horse Center in Canyon. About 180 children showed 300 animals during the event.

Landon Petersen knows a thing or two about pigs — how to raise them, how to show them and how to judge them. He explained Saturday afternoon at the Randall County Junior Livestock Show what he looks for in a winner.

“With pigs, you’re looking for muscle, balance and structure,” he said. “What you want, you want the cut to be mostly muscle, and so you want them to be not too fat but not too lean. That way … you’ll get flavor from the fat but the muscle is better to eat.”

Landon, a Canyon High School sophomore who said he has spent his life around pigs and stock shows, was one of about 180 kids showing more than 300 animals at the West Texas A&M Horse Center north of the campus along Interstate 27, Randall County 4-H volunteer Mandy Cowley said in a news release.

Landon, 16, said he had just claimed first prize in one of his go-rounds, showing one of about a dozen pigs he takes care of.

But his grandfather, 62-year-old Mike Moss of Amarillo said his children’s and now grandchildren’s participation in stock shows is about more than blue ribbons and getting a good price for livestock.

“It keeps (Landon) out of trouble,” Moss said with a smile.

This year’s turnout at the stock show was set to be larger than last year’s, and kids were scheduled to show off their lambs, goats, rabbits, sheep, swine, steers, heifers and pigs that they have spent five to 18 months caring for daily, Cowley said.

Landon said he wakes up at 6 a.m. to feed his animals at a barn near the Randall County jail, and takes care of them after school, too.

His pigs share space with livestock whose preteen caretakers participate in the Dream Team, in which at-risk students from Randall County junior high schools raise the animals and receive most of the proceeds from selling them, Randall County Extension Agent J.D. Ragland said.

Ragland, who supervises the program, said up to six kids join the team each year after an interview process, and the team is funded by state grants and private donations. He said the program has been a success since it started in 2010.

“One thing that we see dramatically from this participation is we see our Dream Fund kids excel in school,” Ragland said. “A lot of times when we get them they’re failing, they’re struggling with grades in school. One thing that this project does, we have to fall under the umbrella of ‘no pass, no play’ … so we see a boost in their grades … and they have a lot of success in school from that point.”

Ragland said the program also teaches kids social skills and a sense of responsibility and achievement.

Dream Team members receive 10 percent of the money earned in selling their animals up-front, while another 10 percent of the money funds the team and the remaining 80 percent goes into a scholarship fund the kids receive once they graduate high school, Ragland said.

Landon’s cousin, 10-year-old Paityn Green, also was showing pigs at the event. She said she divides her time between 4-H activities and cheerleading.

“If you’re a tomboy, it’s fun” she said of showing pigs.

“And she is that,” Moss said.

The event will end with a sale and awards presentation 6 p.m. Monday in the WT cafeteria.